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Love Letters of the Great War brings together some of the most romantic correspondence ever written: passionate love letters sent from British, American, French, German, Australian and Canadian troops in the height of battle, and the heart-breaking replies of their girlfriends, wives and sweethearts. From eloquent declarations of love and longing to wrenching accounts of fear, jealousy and betrayal, each set of letters reveals a story. Some soldiers wrote simple thank you messages for provisions sent, others penned heartfelt goodbyes, many shared sweet dreams of home. But in all the correspondence, there lies a truly human portrait of love and war. These letters, many of which have never before been published, are introduced by a brief piece about the correspondents. Some of the characters in these pages were parted for ever by the tragedy of war; others reunited. Together, a century on from the start of the First World War, these letters offer an intimate glimpse into the hearts of men and women separated by conflict, and show how love can transcend even the bleakest and most devastating of realities.

About the Author

Mandy Kirkby is an editor and author of The Language of Flowers: a Miscellany.

[Love Letters of the Great War] gathers together the most moving, intimate and fascinating correspondence to and from soldiers fighting in the First World War Telegraph heartbreaking letters from the hell of the trenches ... a moving collection Daily Mail The passions of war are universal: these letters reflect the constancy of gallantry, intimacy and grief. -- Iain Finlayson The Times touching and fascinating first-hand accounts ... a brilliant collection, and a must-read for both young and old Press and Journal Love Letters of the Great War, sensitively edited by Mandy Kirkby and with an insightful foreword by Helen Dunmore, is more than a touching anthology. It shows that letters gave men the chance to reflect on their transformation into soldiers, allowed absent husbands and fathers to participate in family life, formed a point of physical contact between separated lovers ... and, in spite of the censors, provided a forum for sexual fantasy. -- Kate McLoughlin TLS emotive and poignant Sunday Post